Summer Youth Blog

In an effort to expose youth to careers in information technology and journalism, Urban Scholars, the Office of Information Technology, and the Office of Communications partnered this past summer to offer two high school graduates an internship focusing on the development of a summer youth blog. The two interns, Jennie Lai and Trammel Griffith, who currently attend UMass Boston and Mass College of Liberal Arts respectively, were mentored by UMass Boston staff Akunna Rosser, Colleen Locke, and Lisa Link. The interns were given the task of developing a blog that would publicize the many youth programs on UMass Boston’s campus during the summer, including Camp Shriver, Project ALERTA, Project REACH, Talented and Gifted Program (TAG), and Urban Scholars. Jennie and Trammel’s blog became the first blog promoting the services offered by each UMass Boston summer program. Overall, this unique partnership between Urban Scholars and the Office of Information Technology has not only offered meaningful job experiences and personal development opportunities to low-income/first-generation college-bound youth, but has also exemplified the university’s commitment to community engagement and a culture of learning

Legislative Study: Massachusetts Municipal Conflict Resolution Needs Assessment, Final Report

The destructive public conflicts documented in this study caused dysfunction and harm to Massachusetts local governments and communities. The report documents how municipal officials are managing conflicts and the impact of current approaches to dealing with destructive public conflict. The needs that municipal officials identify as important for dealing with future destructive public conflict and strategies to address those needs are also documented

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2018 Report & Evaluation

For the past six years, state funding support enabled the Community Mediation Center Grant Program to fulfill its responsibility to award operational grants to qualified community mediation centers. In the FY 2018 budget process, the state legislature again confirmed its commitment to community mediation by appropriating $750,000 to fund the Grant Program during FY 2018. Funded centers contributed extensively to lowering contentiousness in Massachusetts communities in FY 2018 despite the challenges posed by funding and court-referral volatility. Centers provided coverage across all Massachusetts counties and at most Court Divisions. Nearly 8,000 people received center assistance with their disputes through more than 4,000 intakes and 3,400 mediations, and disputes were resolved via mediation for 74$750,000 investment in the Program to continue the operation of community mediation centers was worthwhile and that administration of the Program was effective. Further corroboration of the Program’s value was provided by a financial analysis of centers’ FY 2018 achievements, which estimated that the return on the state’s investment amounted to $12.1 million in cost-savings and leveraged resources

PARENT MEDIATION PROGRAM EVALUATION REPORT: FISCAL YEAR 2020

During Fiscal Year 2020, the Parent Mediation Program operated in its usual fashion, providing services to eligible parties referred by Probate & Family Court Divisions and non-court sources in Massachusetts until March 16, 2020 when non-emergency access to the court was curtailed, and constraints on inter-personal contact were urged due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Program persevered with its functions for the remainder of the fiscal year by converting as many of its operations as possible into electronic form. All five centers participating in the PMP offered parties the opportunity to mediate remotely. The annual referral and mediation targets set up for the year were surpassed but to a lesser extent than the previous year. A decline in PMP activities during the final third of the year was probably attributable to the general pandemic shutdown. PMP mediation impacted parties, including remotely mediating parties. An agreement rate of 89% and a parenting-plan development rate of 79% were produced. Mediation helped most parties improve their interactions with one another, such as bettering communication, reducing conflict, and increasing civility. minorities of parties acknowledged progress at their mediation sessions with respect to child-related issues that concerned access, visitation, parent’s time with the child, the other parent’s involvement with the child, and parent participation in the child’s education or extra-curricular activities. PMP services won the approval of over 90% of participating parties. Post-mediation survey responses from parties who engaged in remote mediation exhibited the same trends regarding mediation satisfaction and outcomes as those of the entire group of surveyed PMP parties

Legislative Study: Massachusetts Municipal Conflict Resolution Needs Assessment, Interim Report

All across Massachusetts, municipal officials are at the front line of dealing with today’s complex problems in such areas as budgets, education, land use, environment, economic development, public works, public safety and public health. In addressing these complex problems, local public officials tackle public conflicts head-on and bring many to resolution. However, officials also face public conflicts that persist and impair their ability to move forward. This study documents specific needs that municipal officials identified as important for dealing with public conflict and for obtaining the societal results they desired. These ran the gamut from resource and process-oriented needs to structural or systemic changes. The evidence collected through this study demonstrates a pressing on-the-ground need for direct assistance to Massachusetts municipalities and local communities in dealing with destructive public conflict

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Parent Mediation Program: January-June 2017 and Fiscal Year 2017 Evaluation Report

The Parent Mediation Program provides up to four hours of free mediation services from community mediation centers to parents in Massachusetts to assist with parenting disputes that arise from divorce or separation. The popularity of mediation services from the Parent Mediation Program during Fiscal Year 2017 presented a major challenge to the human and financial resources of the Program. Even though the Program budget was depleted, the challenge was met, and mediation services were provided, benefiting majorities of surveyed parents with settlement of their parenting disputes, establishment of better communication with one another, improved management of their conflict, and reduced court involvement in their affairs. In addition, majorities of noncustodial parents were able to make gains in parenting time and in improved interactions with their child. As a consequence, the program and mediators earned the approval of a large majority of participating parents